rise and fall of an empire

ROME:Rise and

Fall

of an

Empire

The Age of Augustus

• Octavian came to power in 31 B.C.E.

• Saw disorder and instability in the empire; believed that the empire had become too large for republican rule.

• Although he kept all power for himself, he won the support of the Senate by asking its advice, permitting it to run some of the provinces, and have its own treasury.

The Age of Augustus

• In 27 B.C.E., the senators

bestowed the title of

“Augustus” on Octavian, a

meaning “honored and

majestic,” and one formerly

only bestowed on gods.

• From that point forward,

Octavian became “Augustus

Caesar,” emperor of the

entire Roman world.

Augustus’ Reforms

• Took control of the Roman army in order to abolish the tradition of dictator-generals

• Granted citizenship to people in the provinces (led to increased loyalty)

• Used army to control troublesome provinces; gave Senate control of peaceful ones

Why were Augustus’ reforms more successful than Julius Caesar’s?

Augustus’ Reforms

• Restored traditional Roman values:– Patriotism, close family ties, hard work,

discipline, simple living

– Banished his own daughter as punishment for her promiscuity!

• Passed laws encouraging early marriage and raising large families

• Helped the poor by providing free or low-cost grain

• Sponsored public works projects: roads, buildings, water systems (improved life for Romans and provided jobs for those in need)

Pax Romana

“The Roman Peace”

• Time of stability, expansion, power, and

prosperity that lasted over 200 years (27 B.C.E

to 180 C.E.; Augustus died in 14 C.E.)

(We’re in the “C.E.s! No more backward counting!)

Imperial Roman Road System

Augustus’ Successors:

An Overview

• At the time of Augustus’ death, the empire had no law of succession – no rule stating how the next emperor would be chosen.

• The first four emperors after Augustus were related to him or to his second wife, Livia.

http://www.pbase.com/lordjames/greek_odyssey_june_2006&page=18


An Overview

Tiberius (14-37 C.E.)

• Augustus’ stepson – ran the

empire well

Caligula (37-41 C.E.)

•Cruel, incompetent, and bizarre

(made his horse a consul?)

•Assassinated by members of the royal guard


An Overview

Claudius (41-54 C.E.)

• Scholar chosen by the royal

guard to be emperor

• Restored order and stability

• Sponsored military

expeditions, one of which

added Britain to the empire


An OverviewNero (54-68 C.E.)

• Claudius’ stepson; over time, his reign became increasingly bloodthirsty

• Many historians believe that he started the infamous fire which destroyed Rome in 64 (good point: it allowed Rome to be rebuilt in Greek tradition).

• Committed suicide in 68 when the army rebelled against him

The Military Emperors

• Following Nero’s death, lawlessness swept Rome as military commanders battled for the throne.

Most notable: Vespasian (69-79 C.E.)

• Restored discipline to army and government

• Swiftly put down rebellions in Gaul and Judea (located where the state of Israel lies today)

The “Good Emperors”

• Nerva –adopted new tradition of naming a successor

• Trajan – under him, the Roman Empire reached its greatest size


• Hadrian – devoted his

reign to protecting and

fortifying Roman borders;

most recognizable legacy:

Hadrian’s Wall built at the

northern frontier of Britain;

stretched 73 miles and

rose 20 feet high


• Antonius Pius – (not especially notable)

• Marcus Aurelius (161-180 C.E.) – scholarly; influenced by Greek Stoics; forced to concentrate on border wars with Germanic tribes to the north (near Danube River); the reign of his son and successor, Commodus, marked the end of Pax Romana.

Effects of Pax Romana

This era of

political and

social stability,

military

dominance, and

economic

prosperity would

allow the Roman

culture to flourish

and spread

throughout the

Western world.

• ART

• ARCHITECTURE

• LITERATURE

• DRAMA

• SCIENCE & MEDICINE

• ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

• RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY

• LAW

Crisis in the 3rd Century

1) Weakened defenses

• Barbarian invasions began on the northern

frontier as well as in Greece, Spain, Asia

Minor

– Sassanians (an Iranian dynasty) seized

control of Mesopotamia in the East and began

to penetrate far Roman territories.

Empire in Crisis, 3rd Century C.E.


2) Weak, ineffective government

• 235-285 C.E. – over 20 emperors held power

– Some reigned for less than 1 year

– All but 1 were assassinated!

• Emperors and their armies often fought one

another for power.

– Armies were increasingly made up of mercenaries

(“guns for hire”) who were loyal to whomever paid

them the most!


2) Weak, ineffective government, continued

• Effects on social order:

– All power was in the hands of the emperor

– Senate/ruling class were practically gone

– Two distinct classes emerge:

• Honestiores – aristocrats (nobility, senators,

equestrians, high-ranking soldiers)

• Humiliores – lower classes

This situation foreshadows the social system of

the Middle Ages!


3) Drained imperial treasury

• An attempt to lower the value of coins backfired; people lost confidence in Roman money and turned to barter

• Domino effects:– Deteriorated roads

(hindered trade)


• Domino effects, continued:– Provincial revolts (needed large,

costly army to put down rebellions)

– Large farms had wiped out smaller ones, leading to:

• Shortage of jobs

• Decreased production of food

This situation foreshadows the

economic system of the Middle Ages.

– Increased taxes (to pay for the army and the emperors’ extravagant lifestyles)

• Some emperors sold off their palace furniture to raise money!


4) Environmental Problems

• Plague

• Famine

• Soil exhaustion

• Possible weather changes (global cooling?)


CHRISTIAN VALUES

• Religion before

government

• Morals: How God sees

you.

• Loyalty to God

• Ideal citizen follows JC’s

teachings

• Non-violence

• Rewards in the afterlife

ROMAN VALUES

• Cult of Emperor (Emperor

is divine)

• Dignitas: How peers

judge you

• Loyalty to Empire

• Ideal citizen is the

soldier/farmer

• Violence is a way of life

• Rewards come in this life

5) The impact of Christianity


6) The “Tent Effect”

• Simply put: the empire got so big that it could not sustain itself. It simply collapsed.

Diocletian Splits the Empire in Two: 294 C.E.

The Rise of Christianity

• Christianity began as a cult.

• The Gospels indicate that Jesus accepted Jewish laws and traditions of the Old Testament.

• Renewed emphasis on love, compassion, and a relationship with God.


• Jesus’ popularity was threatening.– Jewish leaders did not

accept him as the Messiah (savior)

– Roman leaders (especially the emperors) feared he would lead a rebellion against the Empire

• Evangelists and disciples followed Jesus’ teachings and preached the Gospel very effectively.– Ex. Paul of Tarsus


• Attraction of Christianity

– Eternal salvation

– Hope in times of crisis

– Equality of all people in the eyes of God

– Importance of charity (important in a time of

financial crisis)

– Enthusiasm of the martyrs (those willing to

suffer and/or die for Christ)


• Persecution of Christians began.– Christians did not worship the

emperor as a god.

– Christians did not attend gladiatorial games or other traditional Roman festivals.

– Christians did not serve in the army.

– Christians’ festivals and customs were seen as strange.

• Ex. Some perceived them as cannibals who chose to “eat the body and blood of Christ.”

The Impact of Constantine

• Moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium (330 C.E.); renamed the city Constantinople.

• Why move the capital?– Port city – great for trade and

commerce

– Strategic location – surrounded on three sides by water; easy to defend

– It’s NOT Rome – Rome seen as a “pagan city” plagued with problems.

Constantinople: “The 2nd Rome”

The Impact of Constantine

• Declared Christianity the

official religion of the Roman

Empire. (This coincides with

a shift of power to the East.)

• Called the Council of Nicaea

to determine the Church’s

official doctrine.

– Result: the Nicene Creed (“We

believe in one God, the Father

Almighty, Creator of Heaven

and Earth, of all that is seen

and unseen….”)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Nicaea_icon.jpg

The Power of the Catholic Church

• As the Christian population grew, so did the power of the Church and its officials.– Ex. Emperor Theodosius did penance,

as ordered by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Rome.

• Eventually, the highest office of the Roman Catholic Church became the papacy (held by the pope).

• The term Catholic means “universal” (also related to a Greek adjective meaning “complete”)– The Roman Catholic Church, as it is

known today, began during the reign of Theodosius

The Spread of Christianity

The Byzantine Emperor Justinian

Under Justinian’s

leadership, the

western portion

of the Roman

Empire was

reconquered.

However, this

unity would be

short-lived.

In the West, barbarian tribes threatened the borders,

and in the east, Muslims from Arabia sought to

capture the critical trading port of Constantinople.

The Byzantine Empire

during the Reign of Justinian

The Hagia Sophia (Istanbul)

Under the orders of Justinian, construction of the Hagia Sophia (“Holy

Wisdom”) was constructed in 532 and took only five years to complete.

Famous for its massive dome, it is considered on the best examples of

Byzantine architecture.

When Constantinople was conquered in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks,

the church was converted to a mosque. The four minarets were added

and the interior walls were redesigned to reflect the Muslim faith.

Legacy of the Roman Empire

• Cultural contributions

– Art

– Architecture

– Science

– Literature

I V X L C D M

1 5 10 50 100 500 1000


• Roman Engineering– Aqueducts

– Sewage systems

– Dams

– Cement

– Arch


• Cultural contributions– Latin

• unifying language; foundation of many other Romance languages

• also the language of the Catholic Church

Caveat emptor!

Buyer beware!

Carpe diem!

Seize the day!

Et tu, Brute?

And you, Brutus?

(Julius Caesar)

Amor vincit omnia.

Love conquers all.

veni vidi vici.

I came, I saw, I conquered .

(Julius Caesar's report of victory in 47

B.C.E. over Pharnaces, king of Pontus)

-- Law and Politics

•Republican government

•Legal codes (Jus Gentium

– the Laws of the People)


• Roman Catholicism and European Unity

– The idea of a united Europe will continue to inspire leaders well into the Middle Ages

– Christianity becomes the uniting religious force in Western civilizations.

rise and fall of an empire

Documents